Roof building element and method of making a roof

ABSTRACT

A roof is made by means of a building element in the form of sheet piling having a narrow weakened central zone transverse to its longitudinal direction, by which the panel is hoisted from, and attached to, the ridge beam, the panel thereby being automatically bent to form a gable roof section by gravity. The cross-sectional contour of the panel provides channels for insulation and ventilation.

United States Patent 1 1 [111 3,720,033 Van Burleigh l 1March 13, 1973 [54] ROOF BUILDING'ELEMENT AND 3,193,973 7/1965 7 Lee et a1 ..52/747 METHOD OF MAKING A ROOF 3,331,181 7/1967 Schmidt ..52/747 3,478,474 11/1969 Johansson ..52/11 lnvenwfi Johannes Balfour Van Burlelgh, 3,494,092 2/1970 Johnson et al ..52/745 Ede, Netherlands [73] Assignees: Cornelia Breas; Margo Charlotte Primary f' Breas, B t f" Ede: N d Attorney-Flett, Gipple and Jacobson part interest to each [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 63,515

A roof is made by means of a building element in the form of sheet piling having a narrow weakened central [30] Foreign Application Priority Dam zone transverse to its longitudinal direction, by which Au 16,1969 Netherlands ..12507/69 the panel is hoisted from, and attached to, the ridge beam, the panel thereby being automatically bent to U-S. form a gable roof section by gravity The eross-sec- [5 Int. Cl- .L tional contour of the panel provides channels for insu- [58] Field of Search ..52/745, 747, 741, 98, 90, 71, lation and ventilation 52/122 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,057,119 10/1962 Kessler ..52/741 ROOF BUILDING ELEMENT AND METHOD OF MAKING A ROOF trusses, triarticulate arched trusses, triarticulate rafters trusses and triarticulate panels. A known folding roof construction was developed from the last mentioned system. I

One of the particular thereof is that large spans can be bridged by transportable prefabricated folding panels for which, if said panels are made of pre-stressed concrete (so far the cheapest material), very heavy hoisting and assembly cranes are to be used as a result of the heavy deadweight, the operating cost of which are considerable.

If such prefabricated folding panels are made of a different material, e.g. of a steel-wood combination instead of pre-stressed concrete and if a box-shaped panel is chosen, then a considerable lower deadweight is obtained, although the material and manufacturing cost will be very high on the contrary, no appreciable reduction in assembly cost (hoisting and assembly cranes) being possible as a result of the great length of the panels. I

For protecting the roof against rain water and vapor and for heat insulation, provisions are to be made yet on the building after assembly, which operations considerably increase the total cost of the roof.

The object of the invention is to provide a very suitable building element for such a triarticulate system, thereby to avoid the drawbacks inherent in the present state of the art.

To this effect, according tothe invention there is proposed a building element in the form of a roof spanning sheet which is characterized by a sheet-piling configuration, that is, having a substantially castellated cross-section, the sheet piling ridges of which are substantially continuous in the longitudinal direction of the sheet and are at least partly reduced over a linear area transverse to the longitudinal direction of said ridges in the central area of the longitudinal dimension of the sheet, while at least in said area the continuous portion of the sheet consists of resilient material, the arrangement being such that during hoisting by the thus weakened linear area the sheet portions on opposite sides of said area, through their deadweight, perform a pivoting motion about said area, with deflection of same.

By applying the invented building element consisting of a suitable steel construction of sheet piling configuration, it may be sufficient for a dwelling with a span in the depth of 9 m and an approximate frontage width of 6.4 m to use eight straight building elements, each 10 m in length and 0.85 m in width, whose deadweight is approximate l l kg/m. There is thus obtained a self-supporting, vapor and water-tight roof of very light construction, with elimination of roof trusses, purlins, common rafters and roof boardings.

The invention furthermore concerns a method of manufacturing a roof span, characterized in that the roof is made by means of a triarticulate system, both upright legs of the system, from a position originally substantially coextensive, being erected pivotally about the joint of said legs, the leg bases moving towards each other, the starting point being a sheet which in its longitudinal direction substantially continues over both legs and which, like sheet-piling, has a castellated cross-sectional configuration, the erection taking place by hoisting by a linear area extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the sheet piling ridges, the latter being previously removed over said area, at least in part, use being made, at least in said area, for the material with which the sheet continues of such resilient material that during hoisting the legs are pivoted about the weakened area by gravity.

The material with which the roof spanning sheet, in the middle of its longitudinal dimension, continues from one leg to the other is formed integrally with said legs and may be of the same material as that of which the rest of the sheet is made, e.g. steel or plastics, or e.g. a suitable plastics material formed integrally with the (e.g. steel) legs adjoining the central area on either side.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention employing a roof spanning sheet of sheet piling configuration, the sheet piling ridges may be partly ground away in a narrow zone across the sheet, while leaving intact the corresponding outer ridge portions on one side of the neutral plane, thereby to produce said weakened area.

The advantage of this feature is that by this simple manufacture treatment the building element is provided with a hinge between the upwardly slanting, legforming sheet or panel portions to be formed, without separating the latter portions.

Preferably the grinding is so effected that in the erected position with upwardly slanting legs, a substantially V-shaped space is formed in cross-section over the roof ridge, the hoisting taking place from and up to, a ridge beam or ridge board having a complementarily V-shaped bottom in section, to which the lowermost sheet portions, continuing over the weakening area, are attached.

Furthermore, it is possible to attach to the bottom of the ridge-forming sheet portions continuing into the weakened area of the sheet, a reinforcement strip adapted to the bent or collapsed form of the sheet at that point, e.g. by means of welding.

Furthermore, the building element may be provided with holes in the ridge portion for accommodating or letting through coach screws or other suitable means for connection with the ridge beam or ridge board.

Of the holes to be applied in the building element and the ridge beam one is applied about in the middle. The hoisting means, e.g. in the form ofa thin steel cable with a snap, can reach through the opposite holes, permitting two workmen to install the building element, and attach it fully to the ridge beam and the support anchoring in less than 10 minutes.

The great advantage of the above measures in that the assembly cost at the building site are minimized; for example, a dwelling as earlier mentioned, requiring eight building elements, can be delivered vapor and watertight in 8X2Xl0 160 man-minutes or about 3 man-hours with regard to the assembly cost, and within 8X10 minutes or about 1.5 hours with regard to the assembly time.

Although the building element proposed according to the invention provides already in itself a vapor of watertight roof, when a plurality of said building elements are coupled in overlapping relationship, it is mostly desirable from an aesthetical viewpoint to cover the roof, as e.g. of a dwelling-house, with roof tiles or in suchlike manner.

If the space underneath the building elements according to the invention is to serve as habitable attic, the building elements should also comply with ventilation and insulation requirements.

For minimizing the operations at the roof for the purpose of tiles laths insulation and ventilation on the jobsite, it is possible according to the invention to apply tile laths on and insulating sheets underneath the sheet piling panel, the arrangement being such that the sheet piling together with the insulating sheet forms continuous air channels over the full length of the slanting roof face above the insulating sheet, thus ensuring the cold roof ventilation principle.

It is obvious that also sky lights, lucarnes, and chimney recesses can be applied in or between the building elements according to the invention.

Furthermore, the invention also relates to a roof spanning construction made by the method described in the above.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically a steel building element according to the invention in the simplest embodiment for a symmetric gable roof; and

FIG. 2 shows schematically a preferred assembly method for the building element according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows schematically the means for attaching a reinforcement strip to the building element.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, along the line m, over a specific width, the top and upright material of the sheet pile profile has been removed, the bottom material remaining intact, thus rendering the sheet pile profile very flexible, so that if said element is lifted along the line m, the ends thereof continue to bear on the flooring.

With regard to the occuring bending moments and normal forces which fluctuate with the magnitude of the spans and roof loads, the steel sheeting material can be chosen, for an economical material use, from wide range of available rigidities.

Because such sheet piling is already being manufactured for other purposes in a great variety, a great advantage is achieved according to the invention, as a finished product is used as the starting material without additional investments and with minimal manufacture cost.

Referring to FIG. 2, 1 represents, in broken line, the building element in outline, lying on the garret floor, 2 representing the building element in partly hoisted condition, 3 representing a tile lath.

4 is a hoisting cable which, together with a snap, is put through the building element in a point of line m, which cable 4 extends, through a bore, into the ridge beam 5. The ridge beam 5 is considered to be supported on the side face walls.

The assembly takes place as follows: The hoisting cable 4 is put through the appropriate bore, pulled down and secured with the snap in the central bore of the building element. The weight of a complete building element for the above-mentioned dwelling is kg, so that the load on the hoisting cable is 60 kg. Via a pulley not shown, the building element can be hoisted by the first workman until it touches the ridge beam. Because the cable aligns the holes in the ridge beam and the building element, the second workman only needs to screw the outer coach screws in the appropriate holes, and then to put the snap out of operation in order to screw in the central coach screw. The first workman has meanwhile put the hoisting cable 4 in the next hole through the ridge beam and pulled it down for the next hoist. Each of the workmen attaches at both ends of the building element the anchoring nuts onto the anchoring bolts, thus completing the first cycle.

When the second element has been attached to the bottom of the first, according to the first cycle, then the erectors should screw on a roof hip, the overlap connecting screws through the overhanging tile lath, through the two steel sheet pilings in the overlap junction rail not shown.

Referring to FIG. 3, a further embodiment is shown in which a reinforcement strip is attached to the building element. Numeral 2 designates the flat panel shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 which, owing to the fact that the ridge portions have been removed over some length in the middle (m in FIG. 2), is locally weakened in such a manner that a hinge is formed about which the two panel halves located on both sides of the middle hinge downwardly when the central area is lifted. Reference numeral 6 designates a reinforcement strip whose cross-sectional shape is adapted to the bent form of the central area of panel 2. Reinforcement strip 6 has apertures 7 so that strip 6 can be secured with bolts to the ridge beam 5. The upwardly inclined side faces 9 of said beam abut in the final position with the terminal edges 10 of the castellations of panel 2.

The invention is not restricted to the above embodiment, as within the scope of the invention many other embodiments are not excluded, the specification having an illustrative character.

Iclaim:

l. A method of forming a roof span comprising providing a substantially planar roof spanning sheet having substantially continuous longitudinal ridges and a substantially castellated cross-section, said ridges being partly ground away in the longitudinal center of the sheet in a narrow zone along a line transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ridges and in which the corresponding outer ridge portions on one side of the neutral face are left intact,the roof spanning sheet being formed from resilient material at least in the area in the longitudinal center of said sheet where the ridges are partly removed, and hoisting the roof spanning sheet by its longitudinal center such that the planar legs of the sheet pivot about said longitudinal center and form upright legs of said roof span.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the ridges are partly removed to form a space having a V-shaped cross-section and in which the roof spanning sheet is hoisted to a ridge beam having a complementary V- shaped bottom cross-section.

3. The method of claim 1 in which a reinforcement strip is attached to the bottom of the longitudinal center of the roof spanning sheet after it has been hoisted into position. 

1. A method of forming a roof span comprising providing a substantially planar roof spanning sheet having substantially continuous longitudinal ridges and a substantially castellated cross-section, said ridges being partly ground away in the longitudinal center of the sheet in a narrow zone along a line transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ridges and in which the corresponding outer ridge portions on one side of the neutral face are left intact, the roof spanning sheet being formed from resilient material at least in the area in the longitudinal center of said sheet where the ridges are partly removed, and hoisting the roof spanning sheet by its longitudinal center such that the planar legs of the sheet pivot about said longitudinal center and form upright legs of said roof span.
 1. A method of forming a roof span comprising providing a substantially planar roof spanning sheet having substantially continuous longitudinal ridges and a substantially castellated cross-section, said ridges being partly ground away in the longitudinal center of the sheet in a narrow zone along a line transverse to the longitudinal direction of the ridges and in which the corresponding outer ridge portions on one side of the neutral face are left intact, the roof spanning sheet being formed from resilient material at least in the area in the longitudinal center of said sheet where the ridges are partly removed, and hoisting the roof spanning sheet by its longitudinal center such that the planar legs of the sheet pivot about said longitudinal center and form upright legs of said roof span.
 2. The method of claim 1 in which the ridges are partly removed to form a space having a V-shaped cross-section and in which the roof spanning sheet is hoisted to a ridge beam having a complementary V-shaped bottom cross-section. 